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The Hand of Tylth
"Hearken unto to the Light, brethren, if ye' hath the mind to doubt what we say here. Turn not to your fellow man for the truth. Turn to the Light." - Faithbringer Harlon Darnel, of The Third Restoration of The Hand of Tylth '' '' Guild Structure Supplicant An individual who has offered themself to the Order. They are not members and constantly strive for their place amongst the Order's ranks. Supplicants are generally subject to ridicule and carry out menial tasks. "The purpose of a member's supplicance is to intsill humilty and do away with their pride. When one places themself upon a pedestal upon which they look down on their fellows, he cannot hope to feel the Light's blessings course through him. Selflessness is key." ''- Grand Crusader Aximand Pureheart, of the First Restoration of the Hand of Tylth''' Aspirant An individual who strives for Knighthood. They spend most of their time training and studying the Order's doctrine. Often, Aspirants are taken in as squires or scholars to the Order's higher-ranked members. ''"When I was apprentice to Sir Adyon the Righteous, I spent most of my days sharpening dull blades. Though, it was better than my fellow Aspirants' duties 'round the abbey...Some carried buckets of water from the river east of Northshire. They did that all day long..." ''- Knight Crusader Geldan the Pious, of the First Restoration of the Hand of Tytlh Knight Crusader Generally, any member who has gained their Knighthood and excels at physical combat. War Ceric Generally, any member who had gained their Knighthood and excels at healing magics. Battle Magi Generally, any member who had gained their Knighthood and excels at destruction magics. Harbinger An individual who has gained the trust of the Grandmaster and has the ability to induct Supplicants into the Order, as well as bestow Knighthood upon Aspirants. Grand Crusader A title awarded to a man or woman who has proven themself a true warrior of the Light. Blessed Idol An individual who is, in all ways, the perfect Knight. They are allowed a place at the Grandmaster's council, and possess the secrets of the Order. There have only been three Blessed Idols in all the Order's history. "The rank of Blessed Idol is one of epic proportions. Not only is a man or woman who possesses this title a role model for the rest of the Order, but they also have been blessed by the Grandmaster himself. They are shown the Great Reliquary. They are allowed to read of the Order's most sensitive doctrines. And they are asked to provide counsel for the Grandmaster. Truly, there is no greater achievement for any member to strive for." - Harbinger Destion the Truthspeaker, of the Second Restoration of The Hand of Tylth Faithbringer A self-proclaimed title, bestowed upon Harlon Darnel by himself during The Third Restoration. The title was based on the concept that the world was drowning in a sea of unbelief and faithlessness. The Faithbringer was a man or woman who would bring the Light back into the lives of those who had rejected it and present the Light to those who had never heard of it. (For more, see The Third Restoration in Guild History.) '"We are holy messengers, missionaries who will spread the Light all across Azeroth. No man or woman of any background should suffer and dwindle in unbelief. This is our quest, brethren...Restore the Light to the peoples of this world and beckon an age of faith!"' - Faithbringer Harlon Darnel, of The Third Restoration of The Hand of Tylth' Grandmaster It is generally accepted that there have only been two Grandmasters in the Order's history. One being Victor Sternhelm and the other being Tylth himself. Mersadie the Zealous did not take the title of Grandmaster upon herself during The Second Restoration and Harlon Darnel took a new title inspired by personal revelation. The Grandmaster is the man or woman who leads the Order and keeps the Order's members strong and faithful. The Order's funds and supplies are recorded by the Grandmaster and distributed at his command. Crusades and similar military advances can only be commanded by the Grandmaster. Only the Grandmaster is capable of bestowing the titles: Grand Crusader and Blessed Idol on worthy members of the Order. "The Grandmaster is a kind man. He is pious and he is learned on the Light and all things. Unto death, he is the Grandmaster and our leader. He is our Prophet. Upon taking a knee before him and recieving Knighthood, we are in his service. When all things are unknown and we know not what is right, we can still know that the Grandmaster will lead us true."'' - Blessed Idol Mersadie the Zealous, of the First/Second Restoration of The Hand of Tylth'' History The Birth of the Order The Hand of Tylth was formed in the early days of the Third War. At the time, it was known as the Order of the (Benevolent) Hand, consisting of knights loyal to Lordaeron. The order was led by a Lordaeron nobleman, Victor Sternhelm, at the time of the Plague of Undeath. Sternhelm was a determined man, having overcome a physical limitation which is never detailed in the Order’s archives. He was also a loyalist, and a stalwart patriot. His loyalty is suspected to come from his service in the Lordaeron Army, during which he and King Terenas Menethil II conversed with one another.' '''The subject matter, time, and location of this conversation is vague, but it is commonly accepted they spoke of Sungrass. Soon after the Culling of Stratholme, which Sternhelm refused to take part in and led his knights back to Tirisfal with Uther the Lightbringer, the order suffered a great loss. On the long road back to Tirisfal, Sternhelm was slain in a Scourge ambush near the Thondroril River. After a solemn ceremony in an abandoned farmstead near Felstone Field, the position of Grandmaster was passed to Tylth. The Arrival of Tylth After the Order was born, and Sternhelm had led his knights across Lordaeron, fighting Orcs, bandits, and Undead, the Grandmaster was confronted by a young-looking man on the shore of Darrowmere Lake. The following exerpt was taken from Sternhelm’s personal diary, which is considered a holy relic in the modern order… ''“I have never been one for visions or subtle messages bestowed unto the mind by the Holy Light. I have never even considered myself a true believer. Alas, when I rode down the western road to Tirisfal, I felt an eerie presence all ‘round me. It pulled at me, and tugged at my reins with my own hands! Deaf to the concerns of my men, and invigorated by the feeling of warmth inside my breast, I was led away from the cobblestone path and onto the carpet of earth. I came to the lake, and my gaze lingered on the distant Caer Darrow only for a moment, before my eyes fell upon a man. His gaze, too, rested upon the far isle until his blue eyes turned back to me. ‘What is your name,’ I asked hm. He replied – and in a voice so pure – ‘I am Tylth’...” '' Later, Sternhelm learned that Tylth was a self-proclaimed prophet of the Light, as well as a knight himself. However, when the question of allegiance arose, Tylth would only say he served the Light. Though none were opposed to bringing another knight into their formation, the question of allegiance rose doubts amongst the Hand. At this time during the war, Scourge spies were everywhere. Sternhelm, however, allowed Tylth to ride with the Hand to the Tirisfal border. On their travels, many of the knights began to grow close to Tylth and trust him, and when the time came for Tylth to leave them, Sternhelm held a brief meeting with his lieutenants and Tylth was inducted into the Order of the Hand later that day. Tylth's Origins The origin of Tylth has been a constant debate amongst members and followers of the Order since the early days. Sternhelm was once quoted, saying: ''“If not a nobleman, Tylth is surely a noble man, and worthy of his knighthood, regardless of allegiance.” Though, some records show Sternhelm’s quote with ‘zealotry’ in the place of ‘allegiance.’ Some theorize Tylth comes from a Gilneas family who escaped the peninsula before the wall was erected. Others argue that his High Lordaeron accent proves he was born in the upper class of Lordaeron. And there are some who speculate that Tylth is not a native of the Lordaeron continent at all. Tylth’s lack of nationality, and his unwillingness to reveal any personal information, was the source of much controversy amongst his fellow knights. Some believed him dishonest and secretive in a time when men feared the unknown. Sternhelm's Death and Tylth's Rise to Grandmaster Korgax the Fireheart Korgax's Betrayal The First Restoration The Second Restoration The Third Restoration and The Modern Order